Produced jointly by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), the “MSPglobal International Guide on Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning” presents a diversity of topics, case studies and actions to assist governments, partners and practitioners in their MSP processes.
From setting the scene and designing the planning process to implementation and evaluation, the publication draws on the expertise and experience accumulated worldwide on technical, practical and conceptual aspects related to MSP since the first guide was published in 2009 by the IOC-UNESCO. It addresses new and emerging issues related to ecosystem-based management, such as the blue economy and climate change, and incorporates MSP within the more global context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“The ultimate goal of Marine Spatial Planning is to offer to all stakeholder groups and communities a platform to co-design how they can conserve the ocean while using its resources and space. In the starting year of the Ocean Decade, this new flagship guide takes us forward towards establishing MSP as a major tool for sustainable ocean management,” said Vladimir Ryabinin, IOC Executive Secretary.
The guide was officially launched during the final conference of the joint IOC-UNESCO/DG MARE MSPglobal Initiative, celebrated on Tuesday 5 October 2021 during a major virtual event.